Water and Wind
by Becksupernatural
Summary: Once again the Winchesters have to face the Monster of the week... but what happens when they find something they were never up against before? Rated T, just to be sure. Hurt/limp/awesome!Boys ;)
1. Chapter 1

**Water and Wind**

As you all know: I (sadly) don't own Sam or Dean, all rights belong to the CW.

**A/N**: Hey guys, this is my first multi-chapter fanfic! I hope you'll like it!  
Set somewhere in season 2, when the boys still are more optimistic ;D  
Also English isn't my first language, so please be nice ;) And reviews are loved!  
Big thanks to LiviaNoble for editing this!  
So, let's get started, shall we? :D

Jack stretched his sore back while he kept an eye on the net which dove through the water behind his small boat. "Getting too old for this" he groaned and lowered himself onto the rail. The last few days had been rough, the constant heat and the sorrow for his daughter finally took their toll. He grabbed his beer bottle and took a swing, inwardly wishing for something stronger.

Just as he turned around to look back to the shoreline, a shadow caught his eyes and his head whipped around, searching the water for something that didn't belong there. After a minute of careful watching he shook his head and settled back down again. Suddenly and without a warning the boat gave a hard rock that sent him straight to the ground, spilling his beer all over the place. "What the …" He cursed, but before the last word could leave his lips, a wave hit the side of the boat while grey clouds seemed to darken the blue sky.

The Mist splashed into the boat and with every new wave the wind seemed to pick up till finally a full-blown storm sent him gasping and spitting through every new load of water delivered straight to his face. Even through it got harder to breathe with every second, suddenly all his attention was focused on the blurry figure of a woman, standing at the other end of the boat, watching him. She seemed to be part of the waves and wind, her long black hair waving in the storm while the water washed around her feet. Her body was covered by a white dress which seemed to move and twist around her body like breaking waves, forming swirls and waves around all the delicate forms of her well-shaped body. Somewhere in the back of his mind a voice was shouting at him to keep it together but was quickly silenced by an overwhelming desire as he reached out into her direction, totally blind to his surroundings and the insane and horrifying smile that now deformed her beautiful features.  
When she reached out her hands in his direction, his eyes registered the deep scars were her fingers were supposed to be, but he was already too far gone to even feel the slightest doubt about her as he tried to make his way over to her.

He stumbled as a strong blast hit him and was thrown into her direction as a wave took him in the back, slamming his body into her. But instead of feeling the hard impact with her body, he was thrown right through her, and the feeling of hitting a wall of water with full speed shook him out of his trance just in time to feel himself flying over the rail into the dark, merciless whipping waves. With all his remaining strength he took hold of the rail, fear ripping through him as her face appeared above him, now no longer lovely but contorted and furious looking. A raw scream ripped itself from his throat as a burning pain shot up his arm, banning every thought out of his mind but the need to make it stop. His eyes caught sight of what seemed to be a paddle, just as the creature slammed it down onto his already smashed fingers, forcing another blood-curling cry out of him.  
The last thing he felt before the darkness finally took him away was the snapping feeling of his own bones breaking under the sheer force of her well placed hits.

Chapter One

"Dude, what's your problem?" Dean groaned and tried to hide his head under his pillow but was suddenly stopped when his blanket was yanked away. He shot upright but regretted it a moment later when his head felt like it was splitting in half. He slapped a hand over his eyes to shield them from the too-bright sunlight but then lowered it again to glare at his little brother who stood at the end of his bed, the blanket and in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other. "Gimme'" he croaked and stretched his hand in the direction of the hot liquid that promised to take away the sick feeling in his stomach and the pain in his head.

"First, quit whining and get up" Sam announced with an amused chuckle about his brothers longing expression. He set the coffee at the table and sat down across from it. "Stubborn Bitch" Dean murmured under his breath as he slowly made his way over to the small table. "What was that?" Sam asked and pulled the coffee back into his direction. "Nothing" Dean snapped when he sank into the uncomfortable chair and grabbed the cup in both his hand. "Good for you" sounded the answer from behind a stack of papers and a newspaper.

After a minute of enjoying the coffee Dean finally spoke up. "You already looking for a new job?" "Yeah" Sam answered and peered over the edge of the paper he was momentary reading. "Think I found us something. I'll tell you about it at breakfast. I saw a dinner just…" he stopped talking when he realized the slightly green color Deans face had turned into. "Dude, stop talking about eating of I promise, I will puke straight into your face!" Dean groaned and swallowed hard, the thought of food for once not making his mouth watering but his stomach roll painfully.

For the sake of Deans suffering expression, Sam tried to hide the grin that tugged at his lips "Hey, it's not my fault you let yourself get drunk with some chic yesterday!" he defended himself. When his brothers' face turned even greener he took pity of him and sighted. "Okay grumpy, let's go anyway, the fresh air will help clear your head." Even if the thought of eating still didn't please Dean, he knew from lots of experience that his brother was right. So ten minutes later they left their cheap motel room and headed into the direction of a small dinner a few blocks away.

When they reached "Lucy's' Diner", Dean finally felt good enough to not-puke, so they entered the comfy looking Diner. The first thing Sam noticed was the huge display, filled with all kinds of pie. He shot a glance at his brother who seemed to have totally forgotten his earlier misery and was now almost drooling at the sight of the options.  
A friendly and motherly looking woman in her mid-forties guided them to a table at the window and took their order. After she left, Sam took out his laptop and booted it up "So, thing I was talking about earlier…" he snapped his fingers in front of Deans face to get his attention away from the pie "I think I found us a job a few states over, in an old fishing village. The last few weeks, bodies started to turn up, all drowned fisherman." He looked up at his brother who leaned back in his bench "And? I don't see why that's our kind of job" "Let me finish. So, every few days a new body is found on the beach. And now it comes: All of them are missing their fingers on the right hand." Dean frowned "I still don't…" "Dean" Sam interrupted "We already looked into less. And we don't have anything else to do, so what are the odds?" "Alright, alright Samantha, calm down. We will check it out. How could I say no to a few days at the beach with hot chics?" Dean said and smirked at the Bitchface Sam shot him.  
"Here is your food, honey." The waitress said and set the plates in front of them. Sam gave her a thankful smile and glared at his brother who was already stuffing half of his pie at once into his mouth.

"Dude, this is awesome!" Dean informed Sam while he tried to swallow the mass of cream and cherry, crooking an eyebrow at his little brothers disgusted expression. At that, Sam turned his attention to his own English breakfast and shoved a piece of bread into his mouth. After a few more bites he put it to the side and … in his bag till he found a map. He studied it intently and then broke the silence "Okay, I think we can be there in about eight hours" he informed Dean "It's not that far, but we should get going soon if we want to arrive before night" "Yeah, Yeah" came the response "And now eat your rabbit food, college boy, so we can get on the road after I take a leak" Dean said and disappeared into the restrooms. Sam sighed but slowly made his way through his breakfast. When Dean reappeared they paid and a few minutes later the black Chevy Impala took off onto the road, heading south, leaving nothing behind but a thick cloud of dust.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

After eight and a half hours in the small car with Dean, Sam was more than relieved when they finally drove by a sign that said "Welcome to Acosta, South Carolina. Population: 3000" around 9 pm. As soon as the Impala came to a stop in front of the first (and only) motel they saw, Sam threw open the door and called back over his shoulder "I'm gonna get us a room." Before Dean could answer he was already heading for the entrance, relieved to finally be able to escape Deans constant teasing and the unavoidable Classic Rock music that still echoed in his head.

"One moment, please…" a voice came from behind the counter and then a cute looking young woman appeared behind it, her long and wavy brown hair framing her delicate face. "So, what can I-" She stopped mid-sentence, taking in Sam's well trained body through his tight fitting shirt. After a few seconds of awkward silence Sam cleared his throat, feeling the all-too-well known heat creep up his cheeks and knew he was turning bright red. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I usually don't… But you are… Oh my god!" She stammered, her cheeks also flushing red. She took a deep breath to catch herself and then started over "Well, let's just pretend that never happened, Okay?" Sam chuckled despite his embarrassment "So, what can I do for you?" she asked shyly "I need a room for my brother and I, please." Sam answered, a smile tugging at his lips, and flipped his fake credit card onto the reception table. The girl took it and handed him the keys in return "Katherine, by the way." She said with a smile. "Sam" He answered and took back the card. "See you." He said before turning around and making his way out, feeling her stare following him as he closed the door behind himself.

When he reached the car, Dean was already drumming his fingers impatient onto the steering wheel "How can you need that long to get a freaking key?" He asked while starting the engine. When Sam didn't answer right away, he crooked an eyebrow "Dude, don't tell me you got to meet a hot chic without me?" "Shut up, would you? It wasn't that" Sam snapped, but his expression told Dean otherwise and with a knowing smile he stopped in front of their room. "Did you get her number?"  
He smirked when Sam only gave an annoyed huff and fled out of the car, grabbing his duffle from the trunk and heading into their room. Slowly Dean followed him and stopped a moment at the door to take in the place that was going to be their home for the next few days: The walls were painted in a decent light green color and under the window next to the door stood a table with two chairs. On the other wall were two beds placed, covered with a bedspread in a darker shade of green. The floor was laid out with a white rug, and Dean nodded appreciating at the small fridge next to the bathroom door, from where he could hear his brother getting ready to shower. "Hurry up" he commanded, "I want a shower too before I check out the bar in town. I hope the chics aren't as boring as the place itself." The -no doubt- annoyed answer went under in the sound of the shower being turned on.

Sam stepped under the hot spray, sighting as he felt his muscles finally relax after spending the whole day stuffed into the too small seat of the car. After a few minutes he turned the shower off, pulled the first shirt he could find over his head, put on his pants and stepped out of the bathroom. He rolled his eyes at the sight that greeted him: His brother laid sprawled over one of the beds, already a half-emptied beer in his hand. While he went over to his bed to put on his shoes, Dean sat up "I hope for you that you didn't use all the hot water, or I will kick your ass." He threatened as he made his way over to the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

Sam ignored him and considered taking out his laptop while waiting, but then decided to just lie back a minute. He didn't even realize he had fallen asleep till a wet towel landed on his face. His eyes flew open and he was up in an instant, looking around confused and then glaring at his brother who stood by the door, laughing. "Enough beauty sleep for you, Samantha." he said giggling. "What are you, five?" Sam snapped, but followed his brother out of the room and over to the Impala. When they got in, Dean spoke up "You want me to drop you off at the library so you can go all geeky, or do you want to come with your awesome big brother and have some fun?" "Ugh, that just sounds wrong" Sam stated, disgusted "I think I will stick with the library, thanks." "Such a nerd" Dean sighed, but stopped in front of the building with a sign that described it as the public library. "You okay with walking back?" he asked his brother through the open window. Sam shot him one of his favorite are-you-fucking-kidding-me-Bitchfaces and said "Better than driving with you when you are drunk. I'm not suicidal!" Dean snorted "I'm an awesome driver! In every state!" he pouted his lips, obviously upset, before taking off with squeaking tires. Sam looked after him for a moment, shaking his head in disbelieve of how childish his brother could be, before turning around and climbing the stairs that led to the entrance.

For the next few hours, Sam buried himself in the old books about local lore which filled almost a whole shelf, dug through seemingly endless folders of archived newspaper articles, and scrolled through every website that seemed to be interesting for their case. In the end he felt still not entirely sure about what they were up against, but with a look at his watch he decided to leave it for today. Wondering what Dean was doing right now, he gave back the stacks of books he took out of the shelves and stepped out into the fresh but pleasant air. Taking in the beautiful, star filled sky, he decided that a walk along the beach wouldn't hurt; even if his brother would be pissed if he figured out he didn't take the fastest way back to their motel. _He isn't going to be home anyway, _Sam thought to himself, and so he followed the signs that led to the sea.

Meanwhile, Dean was deeply sunken into a conversation with a blond, good looking girl that seemed just as drunk as he was. The last round of shots he had thrown back was seemingly one too much, and now he was already halfway through unbuttoning her tight shirt with one hand while the other longingly grabbed her hair and pulled her in. With a growl from deep down his throat he pressed her body against his, smelling her sweet scent-  
Suddenly, his brain seemed to freeze. His head turned over to the door, his breath caught in his through and the time slowed. Everything happened in slow motion and he found himself unable to move, to look away:  
The door opened slowly, and with a graceful swing the most beautiful woman he had ever seen entered, her long, black hair waving in the fresh breeze. Dean's eyes were glued to hers as she stared right at him, not once blinking or twitching. Somewhere in his mind his hunter senses were screaming in alarm, but he ignored them, his mind wiped clean, no thought coming through but the sudden desire to be with that one woman, to do everything for her if it meant that she would just look at him, touch him. His body seemed to be on auto pilot, moving towards her, shoving the confused girl from a second earlier out of his way, not caring when she stumbled and went to the ground.

A small smile tugged at the black-haired woman's lips as she watched him make his way over to her. _Mine_, she thought, already licking her lips, reinforcing her spell, injecting desire filled and longing thoughts into his brain and watching him react to it like a scientist would watch his laboratory animals. His scent was so bitter-sweet, so desperate but also full of love, so... With all her willpower she pulled herself out of her delicate thoughts, preparing for the second step of her plan and turning around, slowly stepping out of the door again, eyes never once leaving her willingly following victim.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sam took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh and salty air. He always loved the sea, and since he was a kid he enjoyed the occasional hunt that gave him the possibility to sneak away for a few hours and just sit in the sand, watching the waves come and go, forget how messed up his live really was and pretend to be just as normal as he always wanted to be. He smiled at that memory, remembering how he had been thinking about the day when he was going to leave the hunting behind and finally be free. "If you knew…" he murmured to himself, feeling his good mood fading together with his grin as all the things that had happened since then flashed through his mind.

To distract himself from his dark thoughts, he let his eyes wander over the wide beach and the sea, watching the dark waves break and roll onto the sand, over and over again. As his gaze wandered along the shoreline in front of him, two dark shadows caught his attention, one following the other onto a dock a few hundred meters away from Sam's position. He frowned and then sighted disgusted as he realized that the first silhouette belonged to a woman and the other one, following her like a little obedient puppy, clearly matched Dean's broad shoulders and his unmistakable posture. "If I have to watch this, I'm gonna kill him." He growled, turning away to go and find another way home without having to watch his brother do whatever he had on his mind with that woman.

Just as he shot a last glance back over his shoulder, his hunter senses made themselves known and a cold shiver went down his spine: something was just off about the situation. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something kept him from leaving without checking it out. He stopped a moment, unsure what to do, but with a shrug he decided to trust a life time of experience and turned around, slowly making his way over to the fillet. He was only about a hundred more meters away when the two shadows reached the end of the wood. The woman turned and opened her arm as to embrace the other one, and something at that gesture set off alarms in Sam's head, making him start into a run to reach his brother. But he was too late: With one last step, Dean came to a stop in between her opened arms, and she threw herself at him, twisting her body around his and pulling him with her into the dark water, dragging him under while her body changed till there was nothing human left but a vicious smile into Sam's direction.

The first thing Dean realized was the cold. It sent hot spikes through his head and made him gasp for air. Panic shot through him when he realized there wasn't any air to inhale, just water that forced its way into his lungs, making him gag and almost giving away the last bit of breath he had left. The horrifying sensation of not being able to breathe finally shook him out of his daze completely and he began to struggle with all his power against the strong arms dragging him under. He managed to throw his elbow behind him and felt it connect with something hard; earning a pained howl from whatever had him in his claws. For just a moment the arm around his chest loosened, but it was enough: with one last twist of his body he slipped out of its grip. He desperately kicked himself in the direction of the surface, frantic to reach it before the blackness tugging at his mind took him under completely, but he wasn't fast enough: just before his head could break through the waves, a sharp pain drove through him and sharp claws grabbed his neck, digging into his flesh and forcing a furious and pained scream out of him, releasing the last precious bubbles of air to float away. He followed them with his eyes, resigned, and the last thing he noticed before he finally lost his battle with conscious was the voice of his brother drifting to his ears, distantly, shouting his name.

"DEANN!" Sam sprinted, almost tripping over a loose plank but not caring, the only thought left the need to save his brother, to reach him before he- "NOO!" With a desperate scream he came to a stop where his brother stood seconds ago and steered into the water, searching frantically for any sign of Dean. Panic took hold of him when none came and he hastily shrugged off his jacked before diving into the cold blackness in front of him, not once hesitating or thinking about his own safety in the rush of reaching his brother.

The feeling of the icy water closing around him made his body cramp for a second, but he quickly caught himself and ignored it, scanning his surrounding for his brother but seeing only darkness. His head broke the surface and he gulped in a mouth full of air before going under again, this time stretching out his arms to feel for Dean's body. His lungs burned in starvation of oxygen as he dove deeper, but he kept going, paying no attention to himself, concentrating all his senses on finding his brother. He was just about to give in to the need for air when suddenly his fingers grazed something soft. He grabbed it, instantly recognizing the fabric of Dean's jacket. He clasped an arm around his brother's chest and with the last of his powers he kicked them through the water, his eyes fixed on the small shine of light that seeped through the dark. After what seemed like an eternity he finally got them over the surface, holding Dean in his arms and kicking franticly to keep them up. His frozen fingers clumsily moved along the other man's throat, desperately searching for a pulse. Panic shot through him as the only thing he felt was the cold sensation of Dean's skin against his. "Dean. Come on man, don't do this! Wake up!" The first tears escaped his eyes, and he hugged his brother more tightly from behind, pressing his fist into his stomach in a desperate try to make him breath. After several hard shoves, he felt a small tremor go through his brother's body and a moment later he shouted in relieve when a hard cough escaped Deans mouth, followed by a swell of water and more coughing as his lungs got rid of the large amounts of water he had swallowed.

"Easy, Dude. Just breathe through it." Sam encouraged his gagging brother, his voice weak from relieve. When the coughs finally subsided, Dean sagged forward, exhausted. "Why... we cuddling?" He murmured and Sam gave a watery laugh while beginning to maneuver them back into the direction of the dock. A few meters away Dean went lax again and Sam felt for his Pulse, sighting when he found the faint, but existing beat against his thumb. After seemingly endless minutes of fighting to keep himself and his brother above the water, Sam finally reached the wooden structure. A sob escaped his lips as he stretched out his left hand and reached the wood while his other arm still held Dean secure to his chest. He tipped Dean's head back onto his shoulder so he could see his face and shook him carefully "Dean, wake up! We are safe now!" he said, his voice hoarse but still commanding "You have to help me; I can't get us both up there! Please!" But the only responses were the lolling of his head against Sam's neck and the shivering of his body that began to pick up. "Okay. I can do this." Sam whispered, looking around and trying to figure out how he could get himself and his half-drowned brother out of the cold water before they both froze to death.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sam felt his body begin to tremble in the icy waves and knew he didn't have much time left to finally get them warm and dry. The thought of losing his brother after just finding him gave him new power and he pushed back his own exhaustion, switching into hunter-mode and letting his instincts take over. With a quick look around he decided that swimming back to beach wasn't an option considering the exhaustion he felt and the time it would take to get his brother there.

With his free arm he took hold of one of the wooden poles keeping the construction over the surface, ignoring the feeling of seemingly a million splinters embedding themselves into his palm, and pushed his foot against a small protrusion, lifting his body just enough to grab a plank that was sticking out above him. Somehow he managed to drag the dead weight of his brother up with him, and just as he was about to shove them over the edge a sudden wave took him in the back, making him gasp and almost lose his grip. The wind sped up, making the mist splash into his face and through his squinted eyes he got a glimpse at a wavering figure standing over them just as a hot pain spiked through his outstretched arm, making him gasp in the salty water. Another wave of agony went through his body and a scream ripped itself from his throat while he felt his fingers begin to slip. Desperately he tried to hold on, but the pain from his hand threated to overwhelm him, and together with his exhaustion and the constantly raising waves he felt himself slip into darkness. Just when he was about to close his eyes and give in, the clear scream of a bird cut through the air and he ripped his eyes open just in time to see the ghostly figure stop in the middle of her violent abusing, turning around with an inhuman growl while the waves seemed to freeze and the unmercifully whipping wind stopped to complete silence.

Suddenly, as quick as it came, the moment was over and with a high pitched scream the creature threw itself at who- or whatever produced the bird-like sound. Sam's fogged mind absently informed him that the now even louder scream was clearly a raven, and he almost smiled at how absolutely useless this information was at this point. Slowly he felt himself drift away as the burning pain in his hand and the exhaustion from his fight to save his brother finally took their toll and the last thing he felt was a hard tuck on his injured wrist, the following wave of agony seemingly too much as it sent him under completely.

Dean sluggishly opened his eyes, blinking blankly at the light-yellow colored ceiling, letting his mind wander and absently wondering what happened. Slowly, the fog in his brain lifted, and with the burning sensation in his chest the memories returned, even though patchy and incomplete: He remembered talking to a pretty girl in a bar and ordering one shot after another, even after feeling the alcohol slowing his thoughts and movements.

After that, everything disappeared into a blurry mess of pictures and sensations, and the only thing left was the nagging sensation that he missed something important and the picture of his brother's pained and concerned face, looking down onto him. His whole body hurt and he was about to drift away again when a pained sound he would recognize everywhere got him sitting upright in a second, looking around frantically for the one that always came before his own misery - Sam. As soon as he had spotted him, lying back on a sofa, his arm cradled to his chest and his eyes pinched closed, he was up and by his side in an instant, positioning himself in between his brother and the strange old man that knelt in front of him. He shot a glare in his direction and then turned around, laying one hand at Sam's elbow "Hey, Sammy, look at me." He said softly, and his brother's eyes flew open, staring at him, just before he threw himself at Dean, hugging him tightly "Dean" he whispered, ignoring the tears that threatened to spill "I thought… you were…" "Shhh" Dean said, feeling Sam's shoulders hitch, and then pulled back to get a better look on the hand his brother still held tightly to his body. He hissed a sharp breath as he took in the swelling and the blue color of the fingers "What the hell happened?" he demanded, sweeping the hair back from Sam's forehead affectionate and turning around to look at the man that now sat on the couch Dean was laying on a minute ago. He had black hair with silver strands spiked up and a dark skin, Dean though he must a Native. Now, deep furrows creased his face and when he spoke up, his voice was deep and sorrowful: "You were taken by the sea, but freed by your brother. You were almost lost, but I managed to banish the beast and took you to my house." "What?" Dean snapped and was about to let his temper take over when he felt a hand on his shoulder "Dean, stop it. He saved us." Sam's soft voice sounded from behind, and Dean turned around "Saved us from what?" he asked "The creature. It tried to drown you. I got after you but it wouldn't let us leave. He arrived just in time to chase it away. How did you do that, by the way?" Sam asked and glanced curiously at the man who had watched them quietly through their explanation. Now, he got up and turned around to the table to pick something up "That is a long story. Maybe you should fix your hand before I start." He suggested and put the fresh bandage in Dean's outstretched hand. "I will go prepare some tea for you. You look like you could need it." And with that, he disappeared into another room.

"Hold still" Dean commanded and began wrapping the cloth around Sam's wrist, slowly making his way up. He ignored his brother's concerned stare when he had to stop half way to cough hard before continuing. Sam was just about to open his mouth when Dean interrupted "Dude, I'm fine" he snapped and smirked up at Sam. "Dean, you almost drowned out there! You are not fine!" Sam stated angrily, seeing the lines of tension in his brothers face. "I can see it, you should-"he stopped suddenly, hissing in a breath through his teeth when pain shot up through his arm as Dean tightened the bandage around his fingers. "Calm down, Samantha! I will lie down, but only if you let me finish your hand. And the more you squirm, the longer it will take." Dean stated, stopping for a moment to let Sam take a breath and then winding the last layer around the damaged hand before giving it a last tug and securing it. "Okay, all done" he announced and let himself fall onto the couch next to Sam, closing his eyes and absently rubbing his still sore chest.

The sound of porcelain being set on the table made him open his eyes in time to see the old man filling two big cups with a slightly yellow liquid. "This will ease the pain. It's an old recipe my grandfather taught me." He explained while he handed the cups to the two young men. Sam inconspicuously sniffed at his cup and then, after deciding it didn't smell too bad, took a careful sip. His eyes widened when the sweet, honey like taste filled his mouth. "This is good" he stated surprised, and Dean grunted in agreement, gulping down the hot liquid that smothered his raw throat.

After drowning the last drop, they set their mugs aside and turned their attention to the Native man sitting across from them. "Okay, so what was that creature? I read some lore in the library earlier, but I'm not sure. I think I read something about some kind of ghost of the sea, but…" Sam stopped, shrugging his shoulders and looking questioning at the man.

"You are right" he answered "But let's start at the beginning:

So, once there was a young woman named Sedna. She lived in the Arctic with her father. He was a fisherman so they didn't have much money, but they were happy, and so Sedna didn't want to marry and go away, even with plenty of young man advertising her. One day, her father said 'The next man that visits, you will marry him', and so the next day it came that a young, good looking man came and promised her plenty of food and a luxurious life if she married him. To fulfill her father's wish she agreed, and so he took her over the sea to a lonely island. As soon as they reached it and were alone, he revealed his true form: he was a so called birdman, a bird dressed as a man."

The old man stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing "So from that day on she lived under the merciless hand of the birdman, till one day, her father came to visit. When he saw how unhappy his daughter was, he took her into his boat and they set off for home. By that the Birdman was so enraged that he sent his friends, and they flew above their kayak and flapped there wings so hard they created a huge storm and the boat threatened to sink. The father was so frightened to drown in the cold water; he threw Sedna overboard, hoping they would let him pass. Sedna tried to hold onto the edge of the boat and wouldn't let go, so her father took a paddle and cut off her fingers, one by one, and after that she sank to the bottom of the ocean where she became a powerful spirit, controlling the sea and its animals. The fishermen still follow a few traditions to maintain a good relationship with her so she allows her animals to be caught by them and to appease her."

After the man finished his story, there was a beat of silence when everybody was lost in his thoughts, trying to process the new information. After a few moments Dean cleared his throat and broke the silence "Well, that explains a lot" he stated with a quick look at Sam's damaged hand and then shuddered at the thought of how close it must have been. "But why is that happening now? I mean, yeah, there are things like, I don't know, overfishing and stuff, but it's nothing new." He said, wondering. "That's a good question" the man agreed "But there are a few sources that say with the right spell she can be summoned and bound to a human," "Great" Dean groaned "So it's not only an enraged, powerful water spirit we have to deal with but also some fanatic nature protection freaks." He complained. The Native gave an amused chuckle before getting up again, walking over to a big and old looking cabinet. He took two thin, black ribbons out of a box before coming back and handing them to the brothers.

Sam took the offered gift out of the old mans hand and let it slide carefully through his fingers, feeling the leathery texture before looking up questioning. "What are those?" He asked curiously. "They are protection charms." The Native explained, "They should prevent you from falling under Sedna's spell again." Sam's eyebrows rose and he examined his bracelet with new interest, turning it around and trying to figure out how it was made. "It's just leather band, drenched in specific herbs and lotions" the man answered his unasked question and smiled at Sam's surprised face.

"That's great," Dean spoke up "But why do you know all that stuff? And why are you even helping us?" he demanded suspiciously, ignoring his brothers annoyed glare and focusing on the Native man who looked offended for one moment but then caught himself and answered. "My name is Nanuq. My father was the shaman of the Inuit that live here, and he passed his legacy to me. Also, I lived here all my live, and you aren't the first hunters that cross my path." He stated and chuckled at their stunned expressions before adding "Believe me, there is very few I don't know about this place, so before you run straight out that door, think about the advantage I would bring".

Dean, already inconspicuous edging his fingers closer to his pocket where he knew his Desert Eagle was, stopped in the movement and considered Nanuq's words: After all, he had saved them, and he gave them those protection charms… Before Dean could come to a conclusion, Sam had already made his decision and now smiled at the man. "Thank you very much for your help. We would really appreciate to be able to come back to you if we need more information." He said while nudging Dean who still looked unsure. "I suggest you don't know how to kill her?" Sam added. Nanuq's brows furrowed "No, I'm sorry." He answered "The only thing I can tell you is that apparently she is scared of birds, even of their cries". "Not surprising judging by her history," Dean interjected "Maybe we can stop her when we find the people summoning her?" Sam nodded. "It's worth a try," he agreed and then tried to hide a yawn behind his hand. Dean glanced at him and then pushed himself upright a little, feeling his own exhaustion seep into his mind. "We will go and have a look around tomorrow. Now, Samantha here needs her beauty sleep" He said while getting up fully. Sam glared at him but gratefully accepted the hand that grabbed his arm, pulling him up and steadying him while he cradled his arm to his chest "Thank you for, you know… everything." He said and tried to get his sleep- fogged eyes focused on the man that saved them. Dean snorted at his concentrated expression and gave Nanuq a grateful smile when he opened the door for them so he could maneuver Sam through it into the cold night. He turned around and opened his mouth to thank the man for his help but was cut off before he could even say the first word "You don't have to thank me," The Native said fiercely "You will save my people, I owe you." "We will try" Dean answered serious. "And you will succeed," Nanuq told him without even a hint of doubt before he suddenly turned around and disappeared back into his house.

For one moment Dean just stood there and stared at the closed door, confused, till Sam, whose mind seemed to be cleared a little by the fresh air, tugged at his sleeve. Together they stepped onto the empty street and made their way back to their motel in silence; both too tired and too caught up in their own thoughts to discuss the happenings of this eventful night.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey :D  
Thank you to all of you who are following this story! It means so much to me!  
This chapter is the shortest so far, but I promise the next one will be longer again :D  
And please review!

Chapter 5

The next morning, Sam woke with the unpleasant feeling of his nose exploding. With a curse he tried to suppress the undoubtedly enormous sneeze that would surely wake his brother and fled into the bathroom, closing the door just in time before a row of forceful sneezes set his head spinning and his body shaking. "Great" he groaned when the tickling in his nose finally subsided and he could get a good look on himself in the mirror: His damp hair was sticking into every direction and his brow was covered in a thin layer of sweat while his eyes shown slightly over-bright. '_Of course I can't be lucky for once',_ he thought to himself while stripping of his clothes and stepping under the hot shower, trying to avert the worst of the cold that took hold of him after the not-so-pleasant swim in the sea yesterday evening and ignoring the dull pounding in his bandaged fingers.

When he stepped out of the bathroom half an hour later his head felt slightly less stuffed and the nagging need to cough was replaced by a strong desire for coffee. With a look at his still soundly sleeping brother he put on his jacket and gently closed the door behind himself.

The coffee shop Sam remembered to have seen earlier was only a few blocks away, so ten minutes later he stepped through the door with an "open 24/7" sign attached to it and let his eyes sweep over the few rows of canned and packaged food before walking over to the small counter on the opposite end of the shop. An annoyed looking teen in a black leather jacket and with black colored hair hardly glanced up at him from the comic he was currently reading when Sam came to a stop in front of him. "What d'ya want?" he mumbled from behind "Batman". Sam crocked an eyebrow and smirked at the choice of book but politely said "Two medium coffees, please. One black and One half coffee, half milk." The boy huffed and murmured something not-so-nice under his breath but put his comic aside and turned around to an ancient looking coffee machine.

Meanwhile, Sam slowly strode through the shelves, trying to figure out if there was anything they needed. He was just about to return to the counter when a stack of newspapers caught his eye, more specific a headline that said: "New murder in idyllic fishing village: The work of a Serial Killer?" A bad feeling settled in his stomach while he quickly skimmed over the articled that reported on a new victim found early this morning, another fisherman like the others, his fingers cut off with what seemed to be a paddle.

With a defeated sight Sam closed his eyes as a wave of guilt washed over him. If they would have known how to kill the creature, they could have prevented another murder, if he would have done a better job researching… His dark thoughts were suddenly disturbed by a light touch on his elbow and as his eyes snapped open he looked into the concerned eyes of the teen " You alright, man?" The boy asked while looking down onto the newspaper. His brow furrowed as he recognized the article but didn't comment on the topic of it or the damp expression in the older man's eyes "Your coffee is ready" he stated softly. Sam smiled at him and cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with being caught off guard "Oh, Yeah. Thanks." He said and followed the boy through the store before he took the two steaming hot cups of coffee with his uninjured hand and managed to fish for his money with the other one, dropping a few more dollars than needed onto the desk. The teen smiled at him thankfully and stuffed the bills into his pocket. "Thanks, man. See you." He said and waved as Sam turned around and looked back after maneuvering himself through the door.

When Sam finally got the door to their motel room open after some fumbling with the keys, Dean was just stepping out of the bathroom, his wet hair pointing into all directions.

He had woken a few minutes ago and found his brother's bed empty. After the first second of panic he had told himself to calm down, that Sam could take care of himself and was most likely getting breakfast for them, but still the worry didn't disappear till he saw his brother twisting his humongous height through the door back into the room.

He smirked and strolled over to him, snatching the paper-tray out of Sam's hands and grabbing the "man-like", black coffee while opening his mouth to let out a sneaky comment about the girly "half-milk-half-coffee" swill his brother had surely ordered. But the words died on his lips when he realized the sad and guilty look on Sam's face while he stared at the newspaper he brought. "Hey Sam, what's up?" he asked carefully. His brother's eyes wandered up to his and Sam handed him the newspaper without a word. As he quickly scanned over the main article his smile faded and when he reached the end, he ran a hand through his hair. "You think this was our creature?" he asked hopelessly. "What else should it be, Dean?" Sam snapped back without any heat behind the words.

He lowered himself onto the edge of his bed, clutching his arm and took a deep breath to settle himself. "Okay." He began after a few moments of silence "What do we do next?" Dean sighted and looked at the newspaper again "Hey, they write the daughter of the latest victim is living here, too." He stated, slightly surprised, "Maybe we should talk to her first? You know, get some information about potential enemies …" Dean suggested. "Yeah, Okay" Sam agreed and got up to grab his coffee while his brother sipped at his.

"How about breakfast?" Dean asked a few minutes later and Sam chuckled into his mug. "What?" Dean snapped back "I'm starving!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**A\N: **Sorry for the long delay, but I had so much going on I just didn't find the time to write.  
I hope the action in this chapter will make up for it .  
And please review!

Sam shoved his scrambled eggs from one side of his plate to the other, trying not to look as miserable as he felt. After ten minutes of pretending to enjoy the food he pushed his plate to the side and took out the newspaper again, ignoring his brothers annoyed sight and his raised eyebrows as he also booted up his laptop. "Got'o f'd th't fr'ky brain o' yours somet'me" Dean commented around a mouthful of delicious food and smiled at Sam's engrossed expression. "I'm serious, Sam. More food, less geeking. And don't think I didn't notice you sniffling all morning." He added.

Now it was at Sam to sight, but he put the paper to the side. Of course he couldn't hide the cold from Dean. Since they were kids, his brother even worried when Sam let out a sneeze.

"Big Brother Radar" Dean commented, knowing exactly what Sam was thinking about "And now- eat!"

Twenty minutes later, after Sam had chocked down enough of his breakfast to satisfy Dean, they stood on the street again, striding over to their car that stood on the opposite side. Dean stopped at of the Driver side and leaned against the door, propping his elbows on the roof "Okay, so where do we start?" he asked. Sam looked over to him and carefully set his damaged hand onto the roof "Well, I think our best shot is to try and find the daughter of the last victim." He suggested, and his brother nodded approvingly "Is there any chance you already know where-"Dean started, but Sam interrupted him with a knowing smirk "I looked it up while you were busy trying to impress the waitress" he said with an eye roll "Her place is a little outcast. She lives there with her husband. No kids, no other family." Sam informed his brother while he fumbled to open the door and slid into the soft leather seat. Next to him, Dean sat down and turned the key, letting the engineer howl, and turned out onto the road.

The drive over to the woman's house was mostly quiet, only the soft Rock music sounded through the car.

Sam leaned his head back against the head rest and turned to look out of the window. The scenery flew by when the street slowly led them out of town. Next to the road a cliff cut off the grass, and right behind it, the deep blue ocean enfolded itself. The slowly rising sun painted glimmering lights into the water and Sam felt himself slowly drift into sleep.

Dean watched his brothers head roll into the window, eyes closed, and he smiled. The last few weeks had been rough on his little brother, and he was relieved that the home-like feeling of the Impala seemed to be able to let Sam catch a few moments of peaceful sleep, for once not plagued by nightmares. He turned the music down another notch and kept one eye on the road while the other was scanning the flat area for the first sign of the house they were looking for. Another ten minutes later he caught sight of a dark spot in the distance, and when he neared he was able to make out a small but pretty and clean house. It was covered in light-blue panels and the wide garden that surrounded it ended into a steep cliff on the farthest side. He followed the long, gravel covered driveway up to the house and stopped right in front of the porch.

He got out and rounded the car, a grin forming on his face with the sight of his brothers face squished against the window. With a sudden movement he jerked the door open and then doubled over laughing, watching his brother tumble out of the car and onto the ground. The confused look on Sam's face made him laugh even harder. "Funny, Dean." Sam snapped and used the door to push himself up, brushing off the dust and dirt from his clothes.

"Come on, Sammy. I just couldn't help myself!" Dean defended himself and tried to fend off another round of giggles. He washed a hand down his face and took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"Okay, okay. So, who are we today?" Dean asked.

"Don't think feds is a good idea here." Sam answered. "Small town, they will catch us in no time." He explained.

"Yeah" Dean agreed "Maybe reporters, then?" he suggested and bend down to open the glove box and look through their numerous identities before he found the ones he was looking for "Ahaa, here we go." He said and handed one of the flat cards to his brother with a quick glance at the name "Come on, Mr. Page"

Sam rolled his eyes but followed his brother over to the door. A few steps led up to the door, but when he was just about to reach the top, he caught sight of a dark figure at the end of the garden, right at the cliff. He squinted his eyes to get a better look, and when he finally realized what it was, his breath caught in his throat and without a second thought he threw himself around, lurched down the stairs again and stormed over the huge lawn, tying to prevent what he knew was coming: On the edge of the steep cliff he spotted the small figure of a woman, standing dangerously close on the brink and still leaning forward. The sight reminded him painfully of the scene he had had to watch just a few hours ago: In front of the woman, floating in the air, a thick mist was swirling and twisting, and in the fog the shape of a second woman seemed to appear.

The memory of the panic he had felt when his brother had gone under let his legs fly faster and faster over the dry grass, leaving his brother behind, closing the distance in no time, and with one last wide step he threw himself at the woman who was just about to make the final step into the deadly embrace of the Creature, tackling her to the ground with all his weight. Just as he hit the ground, he felt a cold wave of freezing air and mist rush over his head, making him shiver. That, together with the pain that shot through his arm as he caught himself with his wounded hand and the inhuman scream of rage that pierced through his ears when the ghostly hand missed its aim nearly sent him under, but he fought the black spots that danced across his vision and managed to slowly roll over onto his back and away from the small woman he had buried under himself to shield her from the danger. The cloud of mist exploded with a loud whoosh, letting water drops rain down on them, but Sam didn't care just then. He groaned and watched his brother slide to a stop next to him, panting.

"What…The...HELL?" Dean got out in between heavy breaths. He had just turned in time to see a look of terror cross his little brothers face before Sam took off over the lawn, leaving him to race after him, trying to catch up, and when he finally realized what his brother was so eager to reach, it had spurred him to run even faster. But still, Sam was able to outrun him easily, and so he could only watch in horror how his brother threw himself at the creature and over the woman, pushing her out of the way just in time before the ghostly arms closed over their heads.

He dropped to his knees next to Sam in a hurry, worry spiking up when he took in the pained expression on his face while he clutched his hand to his chest again.

"Sam? Sammy?" He asked and slid a hand to rest on his arm. Relieve flooded through him when his brother's eyes met his and he saw a small smile form on Sam's lips.  
"M'okay" he said and Dean snorted in disbelieve.

"Yeah, you look like it" Dean stated and then looked over at the woman who still sat where she fell, a dazed and confused expression on her face.  
"Hey, you alright?" he asked softly and she turned big brown eyes onto him. After she just stared for a few moments she slowly nodded and took a shuddering breath.  
"W-What was that?" She asked and ran a hand through her shoulder-long brown hair.  
Dean smirked "Believe me, you don't want to know" he said and slid his arm behind Sam's shoulders when he tried to sit up. The woman raised an eyebrow with an unbelieving expression.

"Okay, okay!" Dean faltered "But can we please talk somewhere else? It's not that comfy out here, you know?" He carefully got up, pulling his brother with him and steadying him when he swayed. "Sasquatch here can't even manage to stay dry for a frigging day." Dean added, and Sam batted his hand away.  
"I'm fine, Dude!" he snarled angrily, embarrassed to be manhandled like a kid in front of a woman, but she only smirked.  
"Okay, Samantha, but then move those legs of yours without falling over your own feet" Dean teased, and Sam huffed in annoyance but go this legs under him as they made their way back to the house.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**A/N** Hey, sorry this took me so long, but I had lots of other things going on …  
Okay, I think after this Chapter things will speed up a little, so there are most likely going to be two more chapters… I hope you will stick around for that long, even if there isn't that much action in this chapter…  
And remember: PLEASE REVIEW!

Once Dean had Sam securely wrapped in a blanket and placed on a couch in the woman's living room he turned his attention back to her. She sat on the other side of a café table on a beige–colored chair that matched the color of the walls. The whole room was kept in a light and warm tone and the wall behind the sofa was almost completely taken up by a huge window. Dean's eyes caught on a bunch of framed pictures that covered the wall opposite of him, and he was just about to ask about them when the woman waved him off.  
"Now it's my turn" she stated with a distinct expression on her face, and Dean closed his mouth instantly.  
"So, tell me: What the hell was that? And who are you, anyway?"  
Sam, who had been laying back and watching for the last few minutes now sat up and leaned forward.  
"We're sorry to intrude so harshly, Ma'am." He began and the woman snorted but didn't interrupt further, so he kept going.  
"I'm Sam, and this is my partner, Dean. We are reporters for a local newspaper and work on a story about the recent death in the area."  
At that, the woman's previously open and interested expression changed into a skeptical one and she was about to get up, but Sam gently laid a hand on her shoulder to stop her.  
"Please, let me explain." He asked pleadingly, and with a look at his huge, apologetic brown eyes the woman sighted and nodded for him to go on.

Dean listened to his brother summarizing the events of the last days and only spoke up when it came to the questioning afterwards, knowing from experience that Sam was better at deciding how much they could tell without risking to get a one way ticket to the asylum.  
"Okay, so you are the last victim's daughter?" he asked, starting with the least-specific questions.  
"Yeah, I'm Lenny. Jack is – was my father." Lenny confirmed and ran a hand over her face when her breath hitched at the last word. Dean's brow furrowed:  
"Did you have a close relationship?" He asked, suspicious. His eyebrows rose when the woman gave a nod but at the same time her eyes began glistering with tears, and a moment later she was downright sobbing. Dean got up and knelt beside her, laying a gentle hand on her shaking shoulders, but still placing himself inconspicuous in between his brother and the woman. She tried to wipe the tears off her face and slowly the suppressed sobs lessened. About a minute later she gave a watery smile, sniffed once and then straightened; holding Dean's concerned but cautious gaze.  
"I didn't kill him, if that's what you think" she stated, her voice calm and convincing, before she continued: "But my father and me… well, during the last few months, our relationship was kind of, let's say, complicated… You know; my husband, some people say he is bad company, so my dad never was happy to see us together, and when we announced our engagement… Dad freaked out. There was a huge fight which ended with me storming out, and well… I guess you can imagine that we weren't that close anymore." Her voice broke while new tears formed in her eyes. "I.., I still love him, and I would never want him dead. I said such awful things and now… now I can't even tell him I didn't mean it, I-"she had to stop again, choking on her tears and desperately burying her face in her hands. This time, it was Sam who got up to comfort her, wetness glistering in his own sympathetic and sad eyes:  
"Hey, it's okay. Don't worry, your Dad knew you didn't mean it. Believe me, I know how you feel. We often say awful things when we are mad, but we regret them later. I'm sure your Dad knew that, too." Sam said and reached over to the small table to grab a box of tissues. He stubbornly ignored Dean's concerned and questioning eyes which he could feel on his back.  
Lenny took the offered tissue with a last sob, wiping her cheeks and blowing her nose.  
"Thank you" she said with her eyes downcast, watching her fiddling fingers instead of the young man's sad eyes.  
After taking a deep breath, she looked up again, this time into the green eyes of the other man: "So, now you know about that. Any other questions?"

Dean had to admit he was surprised at the strengths of the fragile looking woman as she answered his remaining questions without shedding another tear.  
Through the whole procedure he kept a close eye on his brother, who seemed to be getting quieter by the minute, and when they reached the car after a long goodbye, he had to stop Sam from face planting into the gravel when he bent to open the door.  
"Hey you okay?" he asked concerned while he eased his brother into the seat.  
"Yeah, I'm fine." Sam answered, rolling his head into the window again and closing his eyes "J'st tired"  
"Yeah, I can see that" Dean commented with a snort and started the engine.  
On the way back to the city he went through all the information Lenny gave them again, planning on letting Sam sleep till sunset and then following the new lead they got.


End file.
